Michael writes...
This was a bit experimental. Can we make a forest map and set (middle distance) courses in 3 days? Can one person operate a multi-course event? And what about that idea of removing the steep uphill from the results, to better measure "running navigation"?
The mapping was almost achieved (4 days) thanks to raw Lidar data and new tools to analyse it in OCAD. It measures treetops as well as ground, hence tells us the tree height. This correlates approximately with runnability! Three courses can be made with 35 controls, bright orange ribbons are easy to put out and don't need to be taken in immediately. You don't need an SI box at every control - half of us have GPS watches for goodness sake. Participants can print their own maps, and our little battery powered splits printer can do the timing. An SI box at selected controls lets certain legs be subtracted. Everything was done and dusted by 12:30pm.
With full-facilities events requiring three key workers prior to the day itself, and 9 hands going up for traditional orienteering events this year, we can only manage 3 "proper" events without double-ups. I suggest making use of these low-key events, the orienteering can be top-class. One participant called this "the best OHV event of the year"!!!
Results.
Lemon course (1.2km/10m)